A big Seattle howdy-do

I have three words for this band:

1)Yippy

2)Yi

3)Yo

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo recently put on a rowdy show at West Seattle's new Skylark Café. They won over several new fans, including one who described them like this:

"Not only are they all in black from head to toe in their 'uniform,' but the lead singer starts singing and you have to take a double take to see if Johnny Cash is back. Their lyrics are country with a little humor and deviance that might sound like Johnny Cash meets Quentin Tarantino; you can't help but laugh along."

This new fan also took part in a "baptism," a mildly irreverent ritual which had those willing forming a line and waiting for the tall, imposing Amaker to pour a shot of whiskey down their throats.

What do you expect, from a band that bellows the likes of "Give Me the Whiskey"?

The whiskey christenings, songs about lovin' and brawlin', black hats, the drummer in a mask — folks, this is a shtick up.

Yet this band brings some serious skills, recreating a long-ago sound. Tim Harmon, Sugar McGuinn, Curtis Andreen and Louis O'Callaghan play it straight, jamming foot-thumping, fast-driving music to power Amaker's somewhat goofy songs. (Example: "Sissy New Age Cowboy," which brings a little rap attitude to country.)

Even when Amaker is singing tongue in cheek, he does it with a straight face — a sly, underplayed humor.

Songs like "I've Got a Little Hillbilly in Me" and "Get the Hell Out" become instant clap-along, stomp-along, sing-alongs, even for newcomers.

While the singer facially resembles more of a Crispin Glover, Amaker borrows heavily — even mimicking the way he holds his guitar — from The Man in Black, Johnny Cash.

Amaker is a native of Oklahoma who also spent time in Dallas; he moved to Seattle in 1996 and played in rock bands before deciding to get in touch with his country roots.

Via e-mail, he talked about what his band is all about:

"Our objective is to deliver a sound that is true to the era of music that we enjoy (1950s Country & Americana) ...

"Most of the inspiration comes from growing up in Oklahoma, where pretty much everybody is a little bit redneck. Most of our songs are about women, drinking and roughhousin' — traditional country themes.

"Now that we have made the transition to country music, we are trying to figure out how we fit in to the Seattle Music Scene."

Good luck with that, cowboy — though stranger things have happened. If nothing else, the Rodeo threatens to take Dudley Manlove's crown as Seattle's King of Fun.

Brent Amaker and the Rodeo play from a new self-released album at Ballard's Sunset today (9 p.m., $7). For a sip: www.myspace.com/brentamakerandtherodeo.

• Gabriel Teodros, a microphone man you may know from Abyssinian Creole, breaks out a solo CD called "Lovework" at hip-hop hot spot Chop Suey on Saturday (9 p.m., $8). He'll be backed by a live band.

The son of Ethiopian immigrants, Teodros brings strong storytelling skills — his best effort is "East Africa," where he anguishes over violence in his heartland. Elsewhere, he raps about growing up an outcast (due to his accent), fighting labels and trying to learn from — rather than objectify and use — women. That's right, he's fighting sexism, rather than trying to get rich off it, like all those empty-headed MCs.

"Lovework" is being released by MassLine, the collective that includes Blue Scholars and Common Market. Also on his Chop Suey bill are DJ's Sabzi and WD4D.

• How crazy is Terry Radjaw? Crazy enough to rap over songs from Nancy Sinatra, Prince Paul and Bob Marley.

Crazy enough to give away his CDs, because he can't sell them (copyright issues, he'd have Nancy Sinatra's boots kicking him all over court).

Crazy enough to write a song called "I'm an ... ." Well, it's not something you'd call yourself, most likely.

The New Jersey native sprays his creative rhymes at Fremont's Nectar on Sunday (10 p.m., $6). For a peek into his brain: www.myspace.com/terryradjawmusic.

• More hip-hop at the Chop: Sleep — that fast-flowing battle rapper from the Oldominion crew — no-dozes at Chop Suey on Tuesday (9 p.m., $10 to be donated to MS or a bag of clothing to be donated to Union Gospel Mission).

• This weekend, the all-ages Vera Project unveils its new space in Seattle Center — the former Snoqualmie Room, on the north side of KeyArena.

Seattle's Common Market (Sabzi and RA Scion) and Grayskul (from Oldominion) power a hip-hop show tonight. Hard rockers These Arms Are Snakes and Akimbo will put the speakers to the test on Saturday night. And art-pop acts Mount Eerie and Tiny Vipers (newly signed to Sub Pop) tone things down on Sunday night. Doors open at 7:30 each night, and this weekend's shows at Vera are free. For more, visit www.theveraproject.org.

• Youth is also on display at Experience Music Project, with the "Sound Off!" young bands contest reaching its finals on Saturday (8 p.m., $10 general, $7 students/members). The last three bands standing: Bainbridge Islanders Army Corps of Architects, Seattle's Natalie Portman's Shaved Head and Spokane band For Years Blue. The winner gets a show at Bumbershoot, a radio spot on KNDD ("The End"), studio time and gear.

• Strange Jerome, a local rock band with a Cowboy Junkies/Pretenders kind of sound, plays a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society benefit at the Columbia City Theater on Saturday (8 p.m., $10). Guardian Alien and Tart are also on the bill.

Tom Scanlon: tscanlon@seattletimes.com